Page 78 of The Sexy Part
Rowan comes up to the bar. “Hi.” Her voice is soft like she’s uncertain of how I’ll respond to the fact that she called my parents behind my back while I’m working just so she could ask me for yet another favor. I can clear that up.
“Hi. I don’t know why you called my parents, but I’m not leaving.”
“You should go,” Dad says.
I speak between my teeth. “I don’t want to go.”
Dad stares me down. “If you don’t go, you’re fired.”
Rowan waves both hands frantically. “No, no, no. Nothing like that. Just please come with me.”
“Fine.” I walk out from behind the bar and join her. “What?”
“Follow me.”
I follow her out the front door, where a group of women stand, each holding identical small wrapped gifts. Hold on. I know these women. I’ve helped every single one of them. There’s Gina, Rachel, Vickie, Samantha, and Kristen. Tall Vickie shifts to reveal my ex, Brianna. The tips of my ears burn. I can’t believe Rowan called Brianna to witness whatever this is. She’s the worst one of them all, dumping me after her life was back on track.
Brianna’s the reason I’m pissed at Rowan for doing the same thing. Only Rowan came back.
“What’s this about?” I ask.
Vickie comes forward and hands me a gift. “Thank you for all you did for me. Your efforts have not been wasted, I promise. I pay it forward in every way I can.”
I stare at the gift in my hand. “You didn’t have to get me anything.”
“It’s my way of giving back to you.”
This is the first time a woman ever gave me something. Besides family, that is. It’s a weird feeling to be on the receiving end of goodwill.
I turn to Rowan in question. She plucks the gift from my hand and sets it on a nearby bench. I turn back to find Gina in front of me.
“Hi, Cooper. You’ve got a keeper this time. She wouldn’t take no for an answer.” She hands me a gift. “Thank you.”
“You’re welcome.”
Rowan plucks the gift from my hand as Rachel approaches. Same deal—a gift and a sincere thank you. There’s a strange wetness in my eyes.
Next is Samantha, then Kristen, and finally Brianna. I tense. I haven’t seen her since the breakup.
She hands me my own shirt—a blue button-down she wore the morning after at my place and took with her. “Sorry about the way things ended. And thank you for all you did for me. I appreciate it more than you know. You gave me hope.”
Rowan snatches the shirt from my hand and tosses it over the back of the bench. I turn back to the women, wondering what they’ll do next.
“Bye!” they chorus, waving before they walk away.
I relax a little, especially once Brianna goes. I’m over her, but it’s still painful to see her again.
I turn to Rowan. “Not thrilled you called my ex behind my back and made all these women thank me and give me gifts.”
“But I did it in your best interests. You deserve to be thanked.”
“And all Brianna got me was my own shirt back.”
“You’re better off without her.”
I spear a hand through my hair. “Was this some kind of payback because I went behind your back with your dad?”
She gives me a small smile. “At first it was, but then I thought it was about time someone did something for you.”
